The Mirror and the Heart

[arrowsmithbt]

No: HPFGUIDX 105255

--- In HPforGrownups at yahoogroups.com, "davewitley" <dfrankiswork at n...> wrote:
> 
> Rather than stepping through the mirror to read the inscription from 
> the other side, another way of looking at it would be that you turn 
> your back on the mirror to use it as then the inscription is then 
> the 'right way round', even though you cannot actually see it.
> 

It's about time the Mirror turned up in  the posts again; a sadly
neglected and IMO potentially important artifact. Twice I've tried
to get a thread going on it but both times posters preferred to
concentrate on other  things.

This "if you're on the other side of the mirror then the writing is
the right way round" is a possible clue that I've mentioned before.
In the WW mirrors are often much more than looking glasses - they
are also methods of communication, either by the mirror itself
(Harry has met a couple of these) or by someone not physically present
(Sirius's mirror). Erised could fall into the latter  category.

Consider: the  Stone being transferred to Harry's pocket wasn't Harry's
desire, but it could well have been Dumbledore's. And I've always felt 
that DD skimmed over his explication of how the Mirror worked. 

I'll quote part of a previous post:

["At  the end of PS/SS DD is doing what is now accepted as the 
traditional final scene of pulling the wool over Harry's eyes, hiding
where the bodies are buried and re-writing the past to fit his needs.

"I'm glad you asked me that. It was one of my more brilliant ideas, and
between you and me, that's saying something. You see, only one who
wanted to *find*  the Stone - find it, but not use it - would be able
to get it, otherwise they'd just  see themselves making gold or drinking
Elixir of Life.
But no more questions."

Pause a moment, wasn't that what Quirrell was up to? Finding the Stone?
He had no intention of using it - "I see  the Stone...I'm presenting it to
my master...but where is it?" 

The most significant part of DD's speil was the last four words:-
"But no more questions."] - 95633.

Since the Mirror belongs to DD, it's possible that it shows you what
DD wants you to see. It's his desires, what he  wants to happen that are
reflected in the Mirror. Which would mean  that he also wanted Harry
to see his family  and for Ron to see himself as a success, not just the
youngest brother trailing behind his elders. And if DD is on the other 
side of it, it would be easy for him to watch Harry when he sneaked out
at night to sit in front of it. 

It could be a very nice twist - 
"I show not your face but your hearts desire".
Yeah, but whose face and whose desire? 
The one in front of the Mirror or the one on the other side of it?

Kneasy